Their crowded solitude: island split on homes

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Most Sydneysiders would kill to live in a suburb in which only
25 new homes could be built over the next two decades, but on a
little island outcrop of NSW, that number has locals fuming.

The planning rules governing the World Heritage-listed Lord Howe
Island, about 700 kilometres north-east of Sydney, are being
overhauled 18 years after the then environment minister, Bob Carr,
announced a "no-growth" plan.

Then, the Herald reported it would allow only 10 houses
to be built, but in the end that restriction was not included in
the rules and many more have been constructed.

The Government is now intending to restrict growth to 25 houses
over 20 years. That has many islanders furious, for different
reasons. Some say there should be no more houses built, others say
restricting development is a short-sighted view.

One resident, Rodney Thompson, says the old no-growth plan was
not implemented properly, allowing more than 60 residences to be
built and the population to increase from 280 to more than 450.

Mr Thompson says the island's services are already stretched and
could not cope with any more houses or residents.

One of the members of the board that administers the island,

Esven Fenton, said those islanders who supported the strict
anti-development limit may live to regret it. "When they want one
of their kids to build there ... I think that's when it will bite,"
he said.